For the first time in a while, the band didn't compete at the Arkansas Scottish Festival in Batesville last month. It was a real bummer when we had to come to the decision to sit one out. We work really hard to prepare for the few competitions that we go to and I hate to miss one. A few of the band members went and marched in massed bands and had a great time, but it's not the same.
The Highlanders are currently in one of those "transisition" periods that so often shake up pipe bands. Sometimes these are devastating, but I think this one is going to pay off great dividends in the near future. We have a new Pipe Major who is really challenging us to do our best (just like our old one did, thanks Linda), have a few newer pipers who are really coming into their own and some more new pipers who should be joining us soon, and are starting both a piping and a drumming class next month. These are exciting times for us, as the band is changing right before our eyes. It's a pretty amazing thing that the Ozark Highlanders have managed to stay around for more then 20 years, and the future looks very bright for us. We are currently working on a new competition set that we will debut in September at the Oklahoma Scottish Games and the last few weeks have left me with a great sense of optimism. Our pipers are really hammering out the fine details of their music and are really focusing on playing musically and the drum corps has been presented with some tougher music than we've played before and they are really stepping up to the plate.
Look for us to turn some heads in Tulsa in a few months....
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